BMW Car Clubof AmericaRocky Mountain Chapter

The official publication of the Rocky Mountain Chapter BMW CCAWINTER 2019

MOTORSPORTREPORT

Rocky Mountain Chapter BMW CCA Staff Contacts

President Janet Kiyota

president@rmcbmwcca.org

Vice President Fox Chung

vp@rmcbmwcca.org

Treasurer Matt Johnson

treasurer@rmcbmwcca.org

Secretary Karen Lange

secretary@rmcbmwcca.org

Motorsport Report Editor Susan Rhodes 303.910.2770 msreditor@rmcbmwcca.org

Motorsport Report Art Director Fox Chung 303.810.1168

artdirector@rmcbmwcca.org

Circulation Manager Leslie Jenkins 303.671.6131 circulation@rmcbmwcca.org

Marketing Chair Cory Rowan

marketing@rmcbmwcca.org

Driving School Chair (Interim) Eugene Yen 720.201.5198

dec@rmcbmwcca.org

Club Racing & Time Trials Gary Bohn 303.650.5082 gary.bohn@comcast.net

Autocross Chair Keith Dana

axinfo@rmcbmwcca.org

Driving Events Coordinator (DEC) Eugene Yen

dec@rmcbmwcca.org

South Central Region Vice President Jeff Gomon

southcentralrvp@bmwcca.org

• • • • •

BMW Car Clubof AmericaRocky Mountain Chapter

WINTER 2019 – Volume 45 - No. 1

Legal Notice: The MotorSport Report is sole property of the ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHAPTER, BMW CCA, a Colorado Registered not-for-profit corporation for BMW enthusiasts. Permission is granted for other BMW CCA chapters to copy any part of this newsletter, provided proper credit is given to the author and the Rocky Mountain Chapter UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED OR SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITED. Ideas, opinions and suggestions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and no authentication is implied by the editor or the publisher. Unless otherwise noted, none of the information in this newsletter is “factory approved.” The chapter does not endorse any person, product or service.

DRIVEGET OUT &

Cover and interior cover photos by Fox Chung.

WINTER 2019 3

THE PRESIDENT’S LETTER AULD LANG SYNE TO 2018 – HERE WE COME 2019!BY: JANET KIYOTA

1,840+ members Membership: With organizations everywhere trying to figure out declining numbers, RMC held steady with 45 new members through October 31 with 25 different members making referrals. Total membership is 1840 with two months to go.

38+ events30+ meetings115+ volunteers

Busy year: Thirty-eight events planned or co-sponsored by the chapter, 30+ meetings or conference calls with 115+ volunteers participating. Many, like our Driving School committee, planned multi-day events while our Autocross committee oversaw ten separate, full day events.

Success with the support of our sponsors:

Support made our events possible: 3zero3 Motorsports, Adams Polishes, Amicas Pizza, Microbrews & More, Aurora Schools Federal Credit Union, Auto Archives, Blackbelly Market, BMW Downtown Denver, BMW Foundation, Co’s BMW Center in Loveland, Finish Line Car Wash & Detail, Finkel and Garf Brewing Co., Hagerty Insurance, Halfpenny Brewery, Mini of Loveland, SCR Performance, Shell Oil, State Farm Insurance, Super Pro, Tire Rack, and Tony’s Market. These community partners provided space, product, or financial support this past year. Thank you!

This familiar tune begins by posing the question, “Is it right that old times be forgotten?” The answer is often interpreted as a call to remember ongoing friendships and the time that shape those connections. As we get ready to embark into another year, let’s take a quick look back on our RMC year.

4 WINTER 2019

Tools that got the job done:

Money well spent: Purchases of radios, laptops, and the infamous orange cones were made to maintain what is needed to run events. Technology innovation, such as the cell phone app to access Autocross results, has led the way to offset climbing costs of running the chapter.

People that help make it happen:

It takes special people: Welcome Matt Johnson as the newly elected Chapter Treasurer. He officially begins his tenure in January but jumped right in to impact meetings and events. Karen Lange will begin her 2nd tour of duty as the Chapter Secretary. And a special thank you to Michael Feldpusch who has served as our appointed Treasurer. He won’t have to sign checks, but will continue as an integral member of the Autocross team and as the National Autocross Chairman. Welcome to Keith Dana as our 2019 Autocross Chair.

Celebrations: Celebrations: So many over the year but highlights include Jim Pope, winner of an M2 Competition in the annual CCA raffle; David Jobusch, the 2018 Autocross Driver of the Year; 18 RMC members participating in the SCCA Nationals with both Bob and Patty Tunnell placing 1st in their class; and a car project led by Cory Rowan, finishing 3rd in the SEMA Young Guns competition. Steve Hamilton completed his training and is now an official Time Trial Tech Steward.

What’s up for 2019?

What’s up for 2019? January’s Ice Gymkhana and Winter Celebration will kick off an expanded event schedule for 2019 thanks to a few newly minted volunteers. Our newsletter, The Motorsport Report is going green – electronic delivery is on the way. Look to support member-driven sustainability requests to use less paper and employ a new water delivery system at events. The Bimmer Bucks incentive program, a long time autocross staple, is expanding to all RMC events. And 2019 hails a major milestone in the history of BMW CCA as the club celebrates its 50th year as an organization – gotta have a party!

Janet Kiyota President

WINTER 2019 5

RMC BMW CCA MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP REPORT AS OF OCTOBER 31, 2018

New Members Referred ByFred Madden Brian BowdenTara Hefty Terry HeftyTraci Glantz Todd GlantzJennifer Knock Jeff SoderborgNancy Maxon-Savold Stephen KozlowskiKenneth Wesley Brian BowdenPatrick Mickelson Gary BohnJohn Thieszen Brian BowdenFabian Castanon Ian FarrellBrad Jensen Michael FaucettColin Suszynski Gabriel SuszynskiVivek Koduri Dan McInnisTyler Leis Timothy JasonTyler Berg David L. BergKlaus Sade Brian BowdenRichard Ferreri David JobuschJericho Carson Brian BowdenDale Schmaltz Brian BowdenFreddy Guiles David JobuschConrad Suszynski Gabriel Suszynski

Renewing Members (68)

Lapsing Members (11)

Life Members (21)

Primary Members (1,593)

Associate Members (247)

New Members (31)

Secondary Members (8)

JOIN US FOR THE 2019 ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHAPTER BMW CCA’S ANNUAL WINTER CELEBRATION EVENT AND FOOD DRIVE

When: Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.

Where: American Mountaineering Center 710 10th Street, Golden, CO 80401

Cost: $25 per person/$40 per couple dinner buffet and limited open bar

Parking at the American Mountaineering Center is free and is located on the west and north sides of the building. Please be sure to bring along any non-perishable food item(s) for donation to the Food Bank of the Rockies.

Registration for the 2019 Winter Celebration Event is available through www.MotorsportReg.com.

The last day to register for this event is on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. n

6 WINTER 2019

JANUARYJanuary 19 - Ice Gymkhana Georgetown Lake Georgetown, CO 80444

January 26 - RMC BMW CCA Winter Celebration and Food Drive American Mountaineering Center 6:00 p.m. 710 10th Street, Golden, CO 80401

FEBRUARYFebruary 22 - Closing date for submissions to the Motorsport Report 2019 Spring Edition

MARCHMarch 13 - Quarterly Board Meeting Location TBD – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

APRILEvent dates/times TBD

MAYMay 4 - Car Control Clinic & Autocross School Front Range Airport E 30th Avenue, Watkins, CO 80137

May 5 - Autocross #1 Front Range Airport E 30th Avenue, Watkins, CO 80137

May 24 - Instructor Training School (ITS) High Plains Raceway 93301 E US Highway 36 Deer Trail, CO 80105

May 25-26 - Spring Driving School/TT Event High Plains Raceway 93301 E US Highway 36 Deer Trail, CO 80105

2019 CALENDAR OF EVENTS:GET UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON UPCOMING DRIVING, SOCIAL EVENTS, AND REGISTRATION ON OUR WEBSITE AT: http://rmcbmwcca.org/events All dates and event locations are subject to change.

JUNEJune 1 - Autocross #2 Front Range Airport E 30th Avenue, Watkins, CO 80137

June 12 - Quarterly Board Meeting Location TBD – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

June 29 - Autocross #3 Front Range Airport E 30th Avenue, Watkins, CO 80137

JULYJuly 20 - Autocross #4 Front Range Airport E 30th Avenue, Watkins, CO 80137

AUGUSTAugust 3 - Autocross #5 Front Range Airport E 30th Avenue, Watkins, CO 80137

August 24 - Autocross #6 Front Range Airport E 30th Avenue, Watkins, CO 80137

August 31 - Fall Driving School/TT Event Pueblo Motorsports Park 3733 N Pueblo Boulevard Pueblo, CO 81008

SEPTEMBERSeptember 11 - Quarterly Board Meeting Location TBD – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

September 14 - Autocross #7 Front Range Airport E 30th Avenue, Watkins, CO 80137

OCTOBER October 6 - Tire Rack Street Survival The Ranch at Budweiser Events Center 5280 Arena Circle, Loveland, CO 80538

October 15-19 - 50th Annual Oktoberfest (National) Greenville, SC

October 27 - Autocross Banquet Location/Time TBD

NOVEMBERNovember 13 - Planning Meeting Location/Time TBD

WINTER 2019 7

8 WINTER 2019

WITH GREAT APPRECIATION! The Rocky Mountain Chapter BMW CCA would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Eugene Yen for serving as the Autocross Chair for the 2018 season. Eugene has helped shape this into a very successful and enjoyable season of Autocross. Thanks, Eugene!

Please welcome Keith Dana as the Rocky Mountain Chapter BMW CCA’s Autocross Chair for the 2019 season! Keith is a long-time member and has been autocrossing for 20 years. We are fortunate and grateful for his help with the upcoming AX season. Thank you and welcome, Keith! n

WINTER 2019 9

Photos by Eugene Yen. http://streetsurvival.org/schools/frequently-asked-questions/

TIRE RACK STREET SURVIVAL BY: SUSAN RHODES

This year’s Tire Rack Street Survival event was held on October 7, 2018 at The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland and sponsored by Co’s BMW Center.

For those of you are unfamiliar with Street Survival, it’s a one-day driver’s education and car control clinic for young drivers ages 15-21 that teach them how to navigate real-world scenarios that require quick maneuvering such as turning, braking, and skid control. The school also provides classroom training on topics such as proper seat position and hand placement, mirror positioning, as well as concepts such as contact patch of the tires, weight transfer, situational awareness, and the challenges of distractions.

It’s a class that goes far beyond a typical driver’s education course and is taught by extremely knowledgeable and talented instructors. Oh, and did I mention that they detonate an airbag? It’s quite something to witness first-hand – and even better that I’m not witnessing it from behind the wheel.

10 WINTER 2019

My brother-in-law and his wife were gracious enough to allow me to take their son, Connor, to participate in this year’s school. He had just turned 16 and had been driving with his learner’s permit since the day he turned 15. I figured that he was more than ready to learn the capabilities of both his vehicle and his driving skills and he seemed eager to participate.

The day was cool and overcast – a perfect day for driving. The 8-hour long school began with a technical inspection of the cars, as well as a lesson on measuring tire pressure. As the morning led into the afternoon, it was incredible to see how much progress the students had made. As I had learned in driving school, as your driving skills improve (looking ahead, smoothness, correct lines), speed naturally follows suit. As I was watching Connor driving through each exercise, it was evident that he took the concepts he learned in the classroom and applied them directly to his driving. Though he drove a bit cautiously during the morning session, with the help of his instructors he learned the handling limits of his car and drove with complete confidence and control in the afternoon. And yes, the speed did follow – it was a blast to watch him tear through the slalom.

On behalf of the RMC BMW CCA, I’d like to thank all of the students, parents, instructors, and volunteers for taking the time out of your busy schedules to be a part of this amazing school. We would also like to thank Co’s BMW Center and Finish Line Car Wash & Detail for their generous sponsorship and support of this program. Thank you! n

WINTER 2019 11

12 WINTER 2019

A NIGHT OF CELEBRATION: 2018 AUTOCROSS BANQUET BY: JANET KIYOTA

Autocross banquet photos by Fox Chung.

It was a snowy evening but the celebration went on! The pictures tell the story of a fun evening honoring the top drivers for 2018. I’d like to give a shout out to Halfpenny Brewery for their outstanding service and beverages, Tony’s Market for the delicious dinner buffet, and to our AX Committee who worked all year to provide an exciting driving season. Thank you to our sponsors, class winners, and committee members for another great year in the books.

AX Series Sponsors: Co’s BMW Center in conjunction with Finkel & Garf Brewing Company, Amicas Pizza, Microbrews & More, Shell Oil (Ron Schneider), Aurora Schools Federal Credit Union, AMC Theaters, BMW Foundation, Tony’s Market, SCR Performance.

WINTER 2019 13

AX Committee: Eugene Yen, Michael Feldpusch, Alain van der Heide, Mark Smith, Karen Lange, Steve Moody, Fox Chung, Eric van der Heide, Geoff Kampe, John Coleman, Cory Rowan, and Geoff Barrett n

Class Winners:

First Place: Second Place: Third Place:

BAS: Christopher Dawkins Bryce Kliewer Shelton Sanders

BBS: Eric van der Heide Alain Van Der Heide Dan Garfinkel

BCS: Will Pope Jim Pope Steven Moody

BDS: Robert Critchley Mike Critchley Diane Critchley

BES: Joe Levonas Caleb Levonas –

Ladies: Maegan Contreras Melanie Pora Kim Kliewer

Open: Salil Shukla Keith Papulski Eric Mees

X/Race prepared: David Jobusch Mark Smith Stephen Murphy

Driver of the Year: David Jobusch with a season point average of 9970 out of 10,000.

2019 Golden Ticket raffle winner: Eric Mees

14 WINTER 2019

Brands you trust.

Genuine BMW

800.535.2002 | BavAuto.com

n Best price guaranteen Free shipping most ordersn No sales tax

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THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHAPTER BMW CCA BYLAWS

The Rocky Mountain Chapter BMW CCA Bylawsare currently under review and are in the process ofbeing updated by the Board of Directors. A formalvote will take place in 2019 culminating withthe results at one of our future Membership gatherings. The updated version of the Bylaws will be placed on our website when it becomes available. n

WINTER 2019 15

The experts you can trust.

Our passion for cars is rivaled only by our enthusiasm for service. Visit us for any of your automotive needs.

1825 W Union Ave #1, Englewood, CO 80110

(303) 248-3652

www.thegarage.expert

The experts you can trust.

Our passion for cars is rivaled only by our enthusiasm for service. Visit us for any of your automotive needs.

1825 W Union Ave #1, Englewood, CO 80110

(303) 248-3652

www.thegarage.expert

SAVE THE DATE! 10TH ANNUAL VAIL AUTOMOTIVE CLASSICSEPTEMBER 6-8, 2019

Join the Vail Automotive Classic for another spectacular event in 2019. Our event line-up includes all of your favorites – the Mountain Road Tour, Wheels & Wings Festival, and Vail Village Car Show. Stay tuned for more details as we plan for this year’s weekend in the Rockies!

Visit our website at https://www.ailautomotiveclassic.com for our story and a look at the history of the Vail Automotive Classic. n

16 WINTER 2019

PHILES’ FORUM COOLANT SCHMOOLANT BY: VIC LUCARIELLO

Hello bimmerphiles! This time out I would like to talk a bit about that often neglected fluid inside your Bimmer’s radiator and engine: the coolant.

When I got my first gas station job, uh.., some years ago, so-called “permanent” coolant (AKA: antifreeze) was a relatively new thing, and the old non-permanent coolant was still available. At the time, “permanent” coolant denoted a coolant that could be left in service year-round. It did not denote a “lifetime” coolant or “long-life” coolant. One brand’s non-permanent stuff was Zerone while their new-fangled permanent stuff was Zerex, which is still available today from Ashland Oil (Valvoline).

In addition to providing freeze protection, coolant must also provide corrosion protection. Most permanent coolant is based on ethylene glycol, which provides great freeze protection, -34°F when mixed 50/50 with water, but little or no corrosion protection. The corrosion protection is provided by the additives in the base ethylene glycol stock.

Prior to the advent of permanent coolant, each fall one would have to drain the cooling system of its water (with “rust inhibitor” added for corrosion protection), and fill the system with Zerone, or the equivalent in another brand. Then in the spring, the Zerone would be drained, the system flushed, and water/rust inhibitor reinstalled for the warm weather (if the non-permanent coolant was left in for the warm weather, it would boil out of the non-pressurized cooling systems of the day). This was one of the first auto repair jobs I did with Dad on our 1951 Chevy as prescribed in the owner’s manual, which I still have.

Dad taught me that, in addition to draining the radiator, we needed to remove the drain plug on the block as well. He also taught me that the pipe-thread drain plug could be replaced with a petcock so that future drains would be easier. Every car I have ever owned that had pipe-thread block drain plugs received this modification. Thanks, Dad.

In those days, and for decades afterwards, there was really only one type of permanent coolant, and it could be used in virtually any car or truck. I recall pallets of it being delivered to the gas station each fall. Even though the permanent coolant did not need to be replaced annually or semi-annually, we did so for quite a few years. In today’s auto repair industry patois, this would be called “wallet flushing”. In defense of that decades-ago practice, the owner’s manual for Dad’s 1961 Comet, which came equipped with permanent coolant, does prescribe annual coolant changes. The manual also makes the distinction between permanent and non-permanent “antifreeze”, even by 1961. Auto repair industry consensus is that while traditional permanent coolant provides good corrosion protection, its service life is limited to a couple of years, after which the corrosion inhibitors have become depleted.

Photos provided by Vic Lucariello.

WINTER 2019 17

Circa 1996, General Motors introduced its Dex-Cool coolant formulation, which is a long-life, say 5 year, ethylene glycol coolant with a significantly different additive package than traditional permanent coolant. It is also repair industry consensus that one does NOT want to mix traditional coolant with Dex-Cool. The resulting goo is dubbed by some as “Death-Cool”. This is NOT a fault of GM or Dex-Cool. Rather, it is the fault of ignorant installers, professional or otherwise.

Other vehicle manufacturers adopted their own versions of long-life coolant, each differing significantly in terms of additives, from Dex-Cool and traditional permanent coolant (see photo #1 for what I use in my shop). The automotive aftermarket followed suit with its own offerings, SOME of which have specific auto manufacturer approval. Dex-Cool, other long-life ethylene glycol coolants, and traditional permanent coolant fall into about six major types, some of which overlap. It is a source of great confusion among professional auto technicians and the subject of debate on professional forums such as iATN, the International Automobile Technicians Network.

BMW has for years had their proprietary version of long-life coolant and I have used it for years with success. Several aftermarket coolant manufacturers offer coolants that THEY RECOMMEND for BMWs, but I know of no such manufacturer that advertises that its coolant is APPROVED by BMW (if you know of any, please advise).

This is a significant distinction that you need to be aware of when choosing coolants and motor oils. “Recommended For” and “Approved by [auto manufacturer]” are not the same.

On the other hand, aftermarket companies such as Ashland Oil/Valvoline and Pentosin expend significant resources developing coolant additive packages to satisfy the major coolant types used today. So I don’t think these companies, with inveterate reputations to uphold, would cavalierly recommend coolant for use in a particular vehicle marque. Both companies offer coolants that they recommend for use in BMWs.

Mixing any full-strength ethylene glycol coolant with water in a 50/50 ratio will result in a freeze point of about -34°F. You may say, “Hey, it doesn’t get anywhere near that cold here, so why do I need to use that much coolant?” The answer is that diluting the coolant with more than 50% water will raise the freeze point, but it will also dilute the additive package, which is designed for a 50% dilution. Diluting the additive package will shorten the life of the coolant. You can buy an inexpensive hydrometer which will tell you the approximate freeze point of your coolant (see photo #2). You really should keep the concentration around 50%, preferably a bit higher than lower. For the more technical (anal?) among us, a refractometer will tell you the coolant concentration within a few percent.

If you have read this far, here are some suggested takeaways regarding coolant:

• If there is any doubt in your mind whether a particular aftermarket coolant is APPROVED by BMW, use BMW coolant. I do. It may cost a bit more than others, but so did your Bimmer.

• There is a nationally-known company that offers a single coolant that they claim is suitable for “all makes, all models”. Given the wide variety of coolant formulations available today, I am quite skeptical of this claim.

Photo #1.

Photo #2.

18 WINTER 2019

• The color of a coolant is not a reliable predictor of its formulation.

• You DON’T want to mix coolants of differing formulations.

• Use distilled or deionized water for mixing with coolant.

• Get yourself an inexpensive coolant hydrometer to check your coolant level.

• If you have any doubt as to what coolant is in your Bimmer, have the system THOROUGHLY flushed (this takes hours, so be prepared) and refilled with BMW coolant and distilled water.

• Keep a container of BMW coolant mixed 50/50 with distilled or deionized water for topping-up use.

• Some coolants are available either concentrated or “pre-mixed”. I recommend that you buy the concentrate and mix your own. You can check your work with your new hydrometer or refractometer.

If you found this column to be interesting, let me know and I will follow up with some coolant-flushing tips.

That’s all for now, bimmerphiles. See you next time.

Anyone wishing to contribute to Philes’ Forum can contact me at vic.sr@njbmwcca.org. I’m interested in tech tips, repair/maintenance questions, repair horror stories, emissions-inspection sagas, product evaluations, etc.

© 2018; V.M. Lucariello, P.E. n

WINTER 2019 19

Metro Denver Area North Denver Area

BMW of Denver Downtown 1040 S Colorado Boulevard Denver, CO 80246 855-599-2730

Bimmer Haus Performance 7233 West 116th Place, Suite A Broomfield, CO 80020 720-566-0521

West Denver Area

AutoHaus of Boulder 4840 Sterling Drive Boulder, CO 80301 303-468-1166

Gebhardt BMW 4740 Valmont Road Boulder, CO 80301 Serickson@gebauto.com 303-447-8000

South Denver Area

Bavarian Motors 8484 S Valley Highway Englewood, CO 80112 303-656-9268

Autoworks Colorado 8110 Shaffer Parkway, #100 Littleton, CO 80127 303-932-9990

Southern Colorado Area

Mondino Imports 305 Juanita Street, #D Colorado Springs, CO 80909 719-385-0953

Winslow BMW 730 North Circle Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80909 719-955-7921

Northern Colorado Area

Co’s BMW Center 4150 Byrd Drive Loveland, CO 80538 970-292-5200

Poudre Sports Car 5806 S College Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80525 970-229-0990

SCR Performance 3466 East County Road, 20C Loveland, Colorado 80537 970-203-1127

TECHNICAL INSPECTIONS A technical inspection is required for all cars and must be completed prior to the driving school. Please contact one of the following suggested repair shops for appointments and rates. You may also take your car to your regular, preferred repair shop.

20 WINTER 2019

THE 2018 ASPEN SNOWMASS MOTORING CLASSIC - THREE PERSPECTIVESTHE ROAD BEST TRAVELED BY: CHRISTINE FOLEY

Selectively choosing to wake up before the sun comes up is not one of my favorite choices in life. But this morning proved to be the beginning of an amazing week of “everything” to do with cars. They say that you are motivated to be involved in the car world from someone in your family; a matriarch of some kind. Well for me, I did not have that. For instance, my dad drove an orange 1970 Pinto my entire upbringing. When that got totaled (thankfully!), he moved on to a Cutlass Supreme, much to my dismay. My relationship with cars probably came from some past life where I was a Formula 1 racer, although I’ve not been able to determine who that was yet. But one day, I will.

On the morning of September 13th, I headed down to Winslow BMW from the Boulder area for our group rally up to Aspen Snowmass. This was around 5:30 a.m. Heavy sigh...

Gregg Randolph, the General Manager of Winslow BMW, had graciously offered to let me drive a 2019 BMW i8. So…M2 Chez was going to have to wait until another year to get on the Aspen Motorsports

Photos by Alex McCulloch.

WINTER 2019 21

Park. Let’s just say my only motivation to wake so early in the morning was that I was going to be able to meet up with some pretty awesome Ferraris and drive over Independence Pass, behind them of course in the glorious i8! There were several of us that met in Buena Vista for a leisurely lunch prior to heading up and over Independence Pass. My good friend Ryan Sabga got up from the table at the end of lunch and I knew I had to pay my bill and get behind him in the i8 that Winslow BMW allowed me to take to the week-long event. Driving behind two Ferraris on Independence Pass is really a girl’s dream come true (or at least mine). The vistas and views were glorious as the Aspens were literally on fire! If only all the campers and slow drivers could have adhered to the “Golden Rule” of pulling off in the slow bits.

The Aspen Snowmass Motoring Classic is the brainchild of Ryan Sabga and Dave Elkan and offers so much to the car enthusiast. There were various rally points to drive up together, evening social events, a car show, driving on the privately owned and exclusive Aspen Motorsports Track by invite only (for four hours, FREE!), and last but not least, two days of watching racing with RMVR hosting vintage race cars on the closed streets of Snowmass. The sounds and smells while watching the racing event are truly fascinating and really gets one’s heart beating! Could life really get any better than this? It’s my version of that saying, “priceless.”

On Saturday, Sept. 15, our RMC BMW CCA members, and some soon-to-be new members, arrived in the parking lot adjacent to the ballfield where the car show was being held. There we washed and prepared our cars in order to adhere some specially-made wraps provided by Gregg of Winslow BMW prior to loading our club into the car show area that was specifically designated for us. Gregg not only contributed sponsorship monies to the Morgan Adams Foundation for

All BMWs are created equal.(After that it’s up to you.)

The factory assembly lines in Munich and Spartanburg churn out spectacular, pristine examples of The Ultimate Driving Machine® like clockwork.

But if you attended an RMC Autocross, Bimmer Burger Night, or the Spring or Fall Drive this past year, you probably noticed that some BMWs seem to be just a little “more equal” than others. Some draw a crowd or are frequent visitors to the podium, while others simply get lost in the pack.

The same can be said for commuter cars and grocery getters... some seem to have more than their fair share of problems while others just keep going, and going, and going.

The principal difference lies in the quality of preparation, maintenance, and repair – how you care for it.

At Bimmer Haus you and your car will be attended to by the best team of technicians and customer service personnel in the Rockies. No one is better equipped to prepare your car to perform at its best at the RMC Autocross Series or the toughest race of all – The Rat Race.

Exclusive BMW and MINI Service. Exclusively.©2017 Bimmer Haus Performance Group, Inc. • 7233 West 116th Place, Suite A • Broomfield, Colorado 80020

phone 720.566.0521 • nationwide toll free 866.DAS.HAUS • fax 720.566.0523 • email Service@BimmerHaus.com

www.BimmerHaus.com

Stop by for a free BMW mouse pad or racing poster courtesy of H&R Springs!

A+ RatedBob Tunnell, Owner

22 WINTER 2019

the event, but he also had several amazing wraps made for our cars at no expense to our club or members. The car show was an amazing success with over 20 BMWs driven from various parts of Colorado to Snowmass, proudly showing off their wonderfulness. Front and center of course was Winslow’s 2019 i8 BMW – there were lots of oohs and ahhs over that show stopper. Displayed for the car show were cars from the Ferrari Club, RMC BMW CCA, RMVR, Audi Club, Porsche Club, and various people who saw the advertising on social media and in local papers who came just to show off their rides.

A perfectly divine weather pattern allowed us to enjoy pure Snowmass heaven while we all shared stories about our cars, lives, and anything in-between.

The 2019 event will be even more epic! If I could recommend a great holiday away from life and your version of reality, this would be one week I would encourage you to set aside. The stories told were amazing, along with the glorious 360-degree views of Colorado Mountain vistas. The laughter and camaraderie shared was truly one of the most precious things to me over this entire event. It is the “road best traveled” in my mind’s eye. Join us for the week or a few days. It is truly a bucket list event!

VINTAGE RACING IN SNOWMASS BY: ANDREW JORDAN

Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing (RMVR) is the main attraction at the annual Snowmass event and is a good fit for a mountain town. The racing at Steamboat Springs in the 1980s and 1990s was very popular and the Snowmass event is picking up where Steamboat Springs left off. The racing takes place in the heart of Snowmass. The vintage cars race up the central winding streets and then down again on the west side of town. The uphill section has its challenges. There is one very bumpy corner where the back end of the car starts to break away from you. Low horsepower cars handle

WINTER 2019 23

this section better than the muscle cars. Every turn is a challenge. The curbs are right there on the inside apexes and also at the exit apexes. You have to carefully stay between them to avoid damaging a wheel. The downhill run has three chicanes, made out of hay bales, to slow the racecars down. One of these hay bales made a mess of the front end of a 1952 Porsche 352A.

There were a lot of spectators on the Sunday; not so many on Monday. There are plans to address the logistics problem so that the races will occur on Saturday and Sunday. We shall see. Attendance for spectators was free. So too was the car show and the lapping at the elusive Woody Creek. Spectators can move around the track to soak up different views of the street racing. The streets are closed after each session, so as to allow public traffic to proceed. You can get really close to the cars, but it is best to have an aspen tree or two between you and the track. The trees provide both protection and shade. A comfortable chair and a small cooler box rounded out the viewing nicely.

I was on probation with RMVR. This meant that I had to dial it back the whole weekend. During qualifying, I was particularly cautious. As a result, I ended up with a really crappy grid position, right next to the portable toilet. I just couldn’t wait for the race to start.

During the course of the weekend, I thankfully moved up from there. In total, there were eight BMWs running in two groups. The faster 2002s had fun running up front. I enjoyed racing with various cars like 914 Porsches and the odd muscle car on the tight course. HPR, with its long straightaway is a horsepower course, but the Snowmass course is not. You have to be very consistent and accurate on the mountain course.

My thanks to RMVR, especially Kyle Popejoy, Wayne Siebert, and Brian Nelson for all the preparation work they did. It was so unusual to drive the racecar through the town and to arrive at a paddock that had already been set up with canopies and facilities. My dog, Apex, had a shady spot and blanket to lie on. At his age, that was gratefully appreciated. The RMVR dinner after the first day’s racing was fun too. I enjoyed spending time with one of my SCCA day’s competitor, a friend called Brent Louzan. There was a constant flow of spectators through the paddock and many of the drivers were happy to share the details and history of their vintage cars.

Overall, it was a most enjoyable weekend. I behaved myself and stayed out of trouble. I can’t wait for Snowmass 2019!

24 WINTER 2019

“FRIENDS OF ANDREW JORDAN” OPEN-LAPPING AT WOODY CREEK BY: ANDREW COLFELT

It is a rare privilege to be invited to drive on a private race track. It’s even rarer to be invited to do so for free. For the second year in a row, we did exactly that, thanks to our enthusiasm for BMW, and the relationships borne of that well-mannered enthusiasm at the Motoring Classic the previous year.

Aspen Motorsports Park (also known as simply “Woody Creek” for its location next to a town and a creek of the same name) is one of Colorado’s last remaining old-school road courses—really old-school. In 1958, “Street Racing” was banned in Colorado because it was deemed to be dangerous. So, naturally, a group of Aspen racing enthusiasts decided to take matters into their own hands by building their own race track. As it happens, 1958 was also the year that SAAB took matters into their own hands and became the first car maker in the world to begin fitting seat belts in their road-going cars as Standard Equipment. “Standard”, as in: ‘Mandatory—instead of Optional’. The point here is that Woody Creek was designed and built during an automotive era that pre-dates even the oldest of the local tracks we have known and loved as ‘old-school’ tracks. In short, Woody Creek brings new meaning to the notion of “Old School.”

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Consider:

• 1975: Pueblo Motorsports Park (2.2mi, 10 turns)

• 1982: Mountain View Motorsports Park (aka “Mead” for its location off Interstate 25’s Exit 245 for the town of Mead) (1.3mi, 8 turns)

• 1982: Second Creek Raceway (1.7mi, 10 turns)

Of these three tracks, only Pueblo remains open today. High Plains Raceway wasn’t even born until four years after Second Creek and Mountain View died in 2005. Many of you reading this hadn’t yet been born by 1958 (I hadn’t), and some of you may not have yet been born by 1988, when I took matters into my own hands by attending my first BMW Club Driving School.

I’d nearly lost my driver’s license—twice—in the first car I’d ever owned that wasn’t a hand-me-down wagon from my mother: a 1983 SAAB 900 Turbo. It seemed that Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles deemed me to be dangerous, but their remedial National Highway Safety Training classes weren’t doing a very good job of teaching me how not to be.

Thanks to the generosity of the organizers of the Aspen/Snowmass Motoring Classic and the owners of Aspen Racing and Sports Car Club, we now have the opportunity to re-live the Good ol’ Days every September. If you’re not already a Friend of Andrew Jordan, become one, because you don’t want to miss this next year! Woody Creek is an incredibly tight, 8-turn road course that offers a little bit of everything, and a twist: The older your car is, the more you can really stretch its legs to extract maximum joy from the lap. Today’s cars are bigger, heavier, and much more powerful, so it can be a bit like setting a bull loose in a china shop.

The ribbon of asphalt is, in some places, barely wide enough for two cars to run abreast and, in some places, the off-track margin of error approaches zero. I’ve never seen a bull in a china shop (never mind a real “china shop”), but this old-school saying conjures up a fitting simile for the discipline required to keep a modern sportscar’s rubber on the road at Woody Creek.

I’m pleased to report that every single driver at the Friends of Andrew Jordan Open-Lapping event at Woody Creek has, for the last two years running, managed to achieve the right balance between aggression and restraint. With discipline out of the way, we’re left to enjoy the indelible memories of the fun we’ve had and the friends we’ve made. At the close of our session, we made a point of expressing our appreciation to the track staff for their generous support of our drivers, and how easy it was working with them to ensure a safe and smoothly-run event. They said to us: “It’s really nice working with a group that really knows what they’re doing; you BMW guys make our job easy and you are always welcome!”

And, speaking of people who know what they are doing, we owe a special thanks to Gregg Randolph, General Manager of Winslow BMW. Gregg’s support of this event as well as previous Rocky Mountain BMW Club events is extraordinary. Winslow BMW provided go-fast stickers to every single one of our participants in the Car Show and the Friends of Andrew Jordan Open Lapping at Woody Creek event. You’ll notice these in the video trailer linked below. The Winslow BMW dealership is my personal favorite because they are mindful and courteous of their patrons. It is a true pleasure to work with Winslow because they just “get it.”

Video Trailer for Friends of Andrew Jordan at Woody Creek: https://youtu.be/y-NZCtQBNoY. n

26 WINTER 2019

THE Z SERIES CAR CLUB OF AMERICA BY: JON MOORHEAD

The Z Series Car Club of America (ZSCCA) is a Special Interest Group of BMW CCA dedicated to the enjoyment of all Z-Series BMWs. The Hi RockeeZ group is active in Colorado. Find us on Facebook or visit us at: www.zscca.org. n

Associated photos obtained at: https://www.bmwcca.org/content/z-series on 5/31/2018.

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